1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a dental floss device, and in particular to a reusable dental floss device that is easy to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.
2. Prior Art
Flossing teeth regularly if not daily has long been recommended by dentists and is practiced by many people around the world. The conventional way of flossing which perhaps is used by the majority of people, is simply holding or wrapping the free ends of a strand of dental floss with fingers of both hands. To floss properly, a strand of dental floss must be held taut on opposite sides of the teeth. Consequently, the user has to extend one end of the floss inside the mouth and hold the other outside while the mouth is stretched as widely open as it can to accommodate the hand holding the inside end of the floss. The floss is then passed successively between tooth pairs with the floss being kept tensioned. Anyone who has flossed knows that it is not easy to maneuver his hand inside the mouth especially for back teeth. To make flossing even more unpleasant is the mess; pulling the tensioned strand of dental floss out from between tightly fitted teeth often results in debris flying everywhere, on the face and the mirror in front since the mouth has to be wide open. Furthermore, as the floss becomes soiled or frayed, one has to replace it with a section of fresh floss. This is usually done by reeling the spent floss onto the holding fingers. As such, the hands have to hold spent or soiled floss which is wet and dirty.
Dental flossing devices/holders/applicators have been developed in attempt to make dental flossing easier and more effective. A search revealed numerous United States patents issued concerning dental flossing devices/holders/applicators. The following U.S. patents are believed to be more closely related to the current invention:
553,610, PA1 4,460,002 PA1 5,056,540 PA1 1,306,998 PA1 4,706,694 PA1 5,060,681 PA1 1,640,607 PA1 4,790,336 PA1 5,067,503 PA1 2,187,442 PA1 4,807,651 PA1 5,069,233 PA1 3,746,017 PA1 4,051,857 PA1 5,105,840 PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,687, 4,094,328, 5,125,424
In considering their structure and functioning, all the dental flossing devices described in the prior art can be categorized as disposable and reusable. Despite the appearance and degree of complexity, providing tension on floss string and dispensing floss to replace frayed or soiled floss are two basic tasks every floss device has to accomplish. Devices of the disposable type are usually simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture. Floss string is affixed to the flossing head of the device thus providing required tension and dispensing floss is accomplished by simply replacing the device with a brand new one. However, one such device can hardly last long. Once the tensioned string member becomes frayed, it can no longer be used effectively in flossing. As a result, a user usually has to use several of these disposable devices to complete full mouth flossing. As inexpensive as these devices may seem, the accumulated cost can still be substantial. And so is the impact on environment as these devices are usually made of non-degradable materials such as plastic.
On the other hand, the devices of the reusable type usually last a long time with only the floss needed to be replaced. Nevertheless, they are inherently much more complicated in structure--both tensioning and dispensing are accomplished by mechanical means involving many parts which increase the complexity of the devices as well as the cost to manufacture and to use.
Although the reusable dental flossing device disclosed in the current invention shares various features with those described by the prior art, still several features and advantages the present device possesses are patentably distinct over the prior art disclosures. Among other features and advantages, the most distinctive features are that the present device is easier and less expensive to manufacture and easier, more effective and efficient to use compared to those floss devices described by the prior art.